Miami Marlins: 10 Bold Predictions for Franchise's Fresh Start

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This season, the Miami Marlins are coming in as one of the top story lines in baseball. They went out and signed great players, opened a new stadium, hired a championship manager and changed their name. With so many expectations, can this team possibly live up to the hype? Yes, they can. This team can win the World Series this year. Here are 10 bold predictions for this team.

Carlos Zambrano Will Be Mentally Stable

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The unthinkable happened this offseason—the Cubs were able to find a taker for Carlos Zambrano, even though they have to eat most of the $18 million he is due this season. The one manager who can control Zambrano is Ozzie Guillen.  Zambrano should be able to just relax and pitch. He will be the number five starter, so the pressure is off. Zambrano won't be combustible this season.

Chris Coghlan Will Rediscover His Rookie of the Year Form

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Coghlan has declined rapidly since winning Rookie of the Year in 2009. He hasn't played with any confidence, and he was sent to the minors during one bad stretch. This year is probably Coghlan's last chance to rediscover his form, and this slideshow says that he will. He can hit .285 with some power.

Ozzie Guillen Will Get Some Manager of the Year Votes

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As his last few days with the Chicago White Sox approached, there was a certainty that Guillen was going to join the Marlins. He seems like the perfect hire for the predominantly Latin community in Miami. Guillen will be able to get through to Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez like no other manager has been able to.

Logan Morrison Will Be a Borderline All-Star This Season

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When the offseason started, Morrison was rumored to be on the trade block, but the Marlins understand the talent Morrison has. His left-handed power will help balance out the lineup, and he could have a big season. Morrison will still have fun, but expect him to really step forward off the field and mature.

Heath Bell Will Lockdown the Closer's Spot

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Juan Oviedo was solid, but he also blew a lot of saves and lost his job at points. Now the Marlins have one of the five best closers in the game at the back of their bullpen. That will make a difference in a tight NL East race all season.

The Marlins Will Be in the Upper Tier of Attendance in Baseball

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There should be a renewed sense of optimism in Miami because of this offseason. The Marlins have an expensive, beautiful, new ballpark, and went out and signed three of the 10 best free agents available. The community needs to support the Marlins, so their won't be another fire sale in 2015 or 2016.

Jose Reyes Will Lead the League in Runs

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Reyes will hit well over .300 again, and with Hanley Ramirez and Mike Stanton hitting behind him, he's going to score a lot of runs. Reyes may get a few MVP votes, but with such a lineup, they may cancel each other out.

Mike Stanton Will Finish in the Top 5 of MVP Voting

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Stanton will hit close to 50 home runs, drive in over 110 runs and become one of the most feared hitters in the game. Stanton is ready to become an elite player.

Hanley Ramirez Will Regain His Place as One of the Best Players in Baseball

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From the face of the franchise to the third best player on his own team? Not yet. Ramirez struggled for the first time over an entire season, but the talent is still there. Playing with Jose Reyes and being managed by Ozzie Guillen should rejuvenate him. He should have a chip on his shoulder. Can Ramirez play third base? The adjustment will take time, but remember Alex Rodriguez had the best season of his career in 2007, while playing third base. Ramirez has to lose weight. He played at 230 pounds last season, which is way too big. When he was hitting 30 home runs a season and stealing 50 bases, he played at 210 pounds.

A Healthy Josh Johnson Finishes Top 3 in Cy Young Voting

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The key to this team is Johnson. If Johnson takes the ball 33 times, the Marlins can make the playoffs, and once they get to the playoffs, they can win the World Series. Johnson probably will miss a stretch of starts, which will allow Clayton Kershaw or any one of Philly's big three to win the Cy Young, but a healthy Johnson easily wins 20 games with this offense and Heath Bell at closer.